NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reassured Ray, the Missouri pass rusher attempting to rebound from an alarming lapse of judgment expected to knock him well out of the top 10 in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday.

Ray was cited Monday by Missouri Highway Patrol for misdemeanor possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana after the 2014 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year was stopped for speeding.

"I can't really go into much detail into my conversation with the commissioner," Ray told USA TODAY Sports after a Play 60 event. "He told me to keep my head up and move past this. ... That just shows the kind of man he is, helping players get past things.

Ray, who overcame a childhood spent in a gang-infested environment in Kansas City, Mo., spoke with several teams, trying to assure them it was a one-time lapse.

"They asked what happened, and I told them," said Ray, who set the Missouri sack record with 14 ½ last season. "They understand that people make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. That's the biggest thing. Teams were being great in talking to me and understanding what happened."

Ray, 21, was a mix of repentant and defiant when asked about critics questioning his maturity level as a major red flag.

"People who feel that way should probably look into their own lives and question if they haven't made any mistakes," he responded. "My whole career, I've generally made great decisions. I've had a slip-up here and there. It happens. Everybody makes mistakes. ... Mine is only magnified because it's three days before the draft.

"I made a mistake, owned up to it, and right now and I'm trying to stay as positive as possible," Gregory said. "I'm telling teams that I made a mistake. I'm 22 years old. I'm not going to justify it. I can't justify it. I'm not going to make an excuse.

"But I can make a promise that I'll try to be the best professional I can."

"I told Shane to keep his head up — it's going to be tough for a week or two," Gregory said. "But the good thing for him is he's got the draft coming up. You're going to go to a team. Look forward and try to make the best of it.

"And from that point on, all the other stuff doesn't matter."

But some evaluators insist it will.

"I'm not sure Shane Ray can say anything to a GM," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "It's kind of a three strikes conversation. He's 6-2½, 245, which already had teams concerned as far as where do you play him on first down. ... He's got a potential foot injury, which is strike 2. And now he's just made a really bad decision the week before the biggest day of his life.